Blank and a relative packet of cigarettes

ABSTRACT

A cigarette packet ( 4 ) with a cross section of flattened oval profile is fashioned from a diecut blank ( 1 ) of essentially elongated rectangular outline referable to a longitudinal axis ( 16 ) and comprising, aligned along the axis ( 16 ), a central panel ( 17 ), two intermediate panels ( 18, 19 ) and two end panels ( 20, 21 ), each intermediate panel ( 18, 19 ) displaying a flattened oval outline and joined to the two contiguous panels ( 17, 20; 17, 21 ) along respective rectilinear borders ( 22 ) extending transversely to the longitudinal axis ( 16 ) and interconnected in pairs by way of respective arcuate borders ( 23 ) with no break in linear continuity. The central panel ( 17 ) and end panels ( 20, 21 ) each present a flat central longitudinal area ( 24 ) and two lateral longitudinal bands ( 25 ) rendered pliable and thus adaptable to the curvature described by the arcuate borders ( 23 ), which they are designed to meet when the packet ( 4 ) is erected.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a diecut blank for use inmanufacturing of a packet of cigarettes.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] The prior art embraces a packet of rigid type as disclosed inEuropean patent EP 0 545 723, to which reference may be made for a fulldescription, intended to hold a group of cigarettes enveloped previouslyin a respective inner wrapper of metal foil paper. The packet comprisesa container with an internal stiffening frame, also a lid hinged to thecontainer and rotatable about the respective hinge line between an openposition affording access to the container, and a closed position inwhich the lid fits snugly over the frame and is held thus stably inplace. The packet in question presents a cross section of substantiallyflattened oval profile and is fashioned from a flat precreased diecutblank referable to a predominating axis disposed transversely to theaxis of the finished packet and presenting a plurality of panels,aligned along the selfsame axis, destined to provide both the sides ofthe container and of the lid, and the internal frame.

[0003] Also forming part of the blank are two pairs of end folds, eachpresenting an outline of substantially flattened oval profile, alignedin two sets of two along the aforementioned transverse axis andproviding the elements by which the top end and bottom end faces of thepacket are fashioned.

[0004] Besides being unsuitable for use on today's high speed packermachines, which will only handle blanks exhibiting a transversedimension decidedly less than the longitudinal dimension, the type ofblank described above can also be affected by the problem of incorrectmutual positioning between the outer wrapper and the inner wrapper. Ineffect, given the particular geometry of the blank, the packet isfashioned by bending the blank about an axis perpendicular to thetransverse axis and rolling it gradually into a tube around the innerwrapper, interacting in the process with the selfsame inner wrapper, tothe point of assuming the aforementioned substantially flattened ovalprofile. Thus, the inner wrapper functions to all intents and purposesas a mandrel around which the blank is formed by degrees.

[0005] It has been found by experiment that this type of wrappingoperation can occasion relative movement between the inner wrapper andthe outer wrapper, resulting in the drawback mentioned above andconsequently in a loss of the correct mutual positioning between the twowrappers.<INSERT PAGE 2 a>

[0006] The object of the present invention is to overcome the abovenoted drawbacks.

[0007] It is also known, from document U.S. Pat. No. 5,392,905, a hingedlid packet for cigarettes which comprises a pack part and a lidpivotally attached to the pack part. The pack part presents a frontpanel, a rear panel, two lateral panels and a bottom; the lid comprisesa lid front panel, a lid rear panel, two side panels and an end panel.The four longitudinal edges of the packet are rounded and are defined bya plurality of parallel grooves. The packet is formed from a first blankpresenting a central panel, two intermediate panels and two end panels.The intermediate panels, which form the bottom and the end panel of thepacket, present a substantially rectangular shape with rounded edges.The packet further comprises a collar formed from a separate blank.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The stated object is realized according to the present inventionin a blank for manufacturing a packet of cigarettes exhibiting a crosssection of substantially flattened oval profile, characterized in thatit presents a substantially elongated rectangular outline referable to alongitudinal axis parallel with the longitudinal axis of the relativepacket and comprises, aligned along the selfsame axis, a central panel,two intermediate panels and two end panels, of which the intermediatepanels each present a substantially flattened oval outline and arejoined respectively to the two contiguous panels along rectilinearborders extending transversely to the longitudinal axis andinterconnected in pairs by way of respective arcuate borders with nobreak in linear continuity, whilst the central panel and end panelspresent respective flat central longitudinal areas, terminatinglongitudinally in extremities that coincide with the rectilinearborders, and two respective lateral longitudinal bands designed to meetthe intermediate panels along the arcuate borders.

[0009] The invention will now be described in detail, by way of example,with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0010] FIGS. 1 to 3 illustrate three different types of blanks for themanufacture of respective packets of cigarettes according to the presentinvention, viewed in plan;

[0011] FIGS. 4 to 6 illustrate three different types of blanks for themanufacture of respective frames to be associated with the respectivetypes of blanks shown in FIGS. 1 to 3;

[0012]FIG. 7 illustrates a packet of cigarettes fashioned, purely by wayof example, from the blank of FIG. 3.

[0013] With reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, of the drawings, 1 denotes aflat diecut blank, in its entirety, made of a wrapping material such ascardboard or the like, from which to fashion a packet; in particular,the blank 1 is associated with a respective stiffening frame 2 fashionedin its turn from a flat diecut blank 3, and formed into a relativecigarette packet 4 (see FIG. 7) referable to a predominatinglongitudinal axis 5, presenting a substantially flattened oval profilewhen seen in cross section and accommodating a group of cigarettes (notillustrated).

[0014] Referring to FIG. 7, the packet 4 is of rigid embodiment andcomprises a container 6, surmounted by a lid 7 hinged to the selfsamecontainer 6 along a crease line 8 and rotatable thus between an openposition (not illustrated), and a closed position in which the lidcovers an open top end 9 of the container 6 and is retained in this sameposition by the frame 2.

[0015] The packet 4 presents a top end face 10 and a bottom end face 11of substantially flattened oval outline, and a lateral surface 12including two mutually parallel flat portions denoted 13 and 14, frontand rear respectively. The two flat portions 13 and 14 areinterconnected by two arcuate portions 15.

[0016] As illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the blank 1 presents asubstantially elongated rectangular outline referable to a longitudinalaxis 16 and comprises, aligned along this same axis 16, a central panel17, two intermediate panels 18 and 19 and two end panels of which one,denoted 20, is joined to the central panel 17 by way of one intermediatepanel 18, and the other, denoted 21, joined to the central panel 17 byway of the other intermediate panel 19.

[0017] The two intermediate panels 18 and 19 present a substantiallyflattened oval outline and are joined to the respective contiguouspanels 20-17 and 21-17 along rectilinear borders 22 that extendtransversely to the longitudinal axis 16 and are interconnected incorresponding pairs by respective arcuate borders 23 with no break inlinear continuity.

[0018] The central panel 17 and the end panels 20 and 21 each exhibit acentral longitudinal area 24 of width equal to the length of theaforementioned rectilinear borders 22, so that the extremities of thesesame areas 24 coincide with the borders 22 along which the intermediatepanels 18 and 19 are joined, also two lateral longitudinal bands 25extending parallel to the central area 24 and designed, when the packet4 is erected, to meet the intermediate panels 18 and 19 along theaforementioned arcuate borders 23 whereupon they are anchored to theselfsame panels 18 and 19 by means of flaps 26. In the example of FIG. 1the flaps 26 are integral with the arcuate borders 23 of theintermediate panels 18 and 19 and embodied as a plurality of tongues 32each presenting a substantially triangular outline and projectingradially from the selfsame arcuate border 23.

[0019] In particular, the central longitudinal portion 24 of the centralpanel 17 coincides with the rear flat portion 14 of the packet 4, thecentral portions 24 of the end panels 20 and 21 coincide with the frontflat portion 13 of the packet 4, and the intermediate panels 18 and 19coincide respectively with the top end face 10 and with the bottom endface 11 of the packet 4. Finally, the lateral longitudinal bands 25coincide with the arcuate portions 15 of the packet 4 and are securedone to another along a narrow overlap denoted 27.

[0020] In contrast to the example of FIG. 1, the lateral longitudinalbands 25 in the examples of FIGS. 2 and 3 are rendered pliable and thusmade readily adaptable, when the packet 4 is erected, to the curvatureof the arcuate borders 23 presented by the intermediate panels 18 and19.

[0021] In the example of FIG. 2 the lateral longitudinal bands 25 arerendered pliable and adaptable to the required curvature by means of anembossing operation denoted G. In this instance the flaps 26 present arectangular outline and project from the arcuate borders 23 of theintermediate panels 18 and 19.

[0022] In the example of FIG. 3 the lateral longitudinal bands 25 arerendered pliable and adaptable to the required curvature by means of anoperation denoted P that consists in generating a plurality of creaselines 28. In this instance the flaps 26 are integral with the lateralbands 25 of the central panel 17 and extend parallel to the longitudinalaxis 16.

[0023] Importantly, the separation between the lateral longitudinalbands 25 and the central area 24 is not evidenced by a clear line ofdemarcation; rather, the bands 25 and the central area 24 merge with nobreak in continuity, so that the packet 4 can be fashioned without anyridges generated between the flat portions 13 and 14 and the arcuateportions 15.

[0024] In the same manner as described for the packet blanks 1, theblanks 3 utilized for the frames 2 illustrated in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6present a central longitudinal area 29 that will be breasted with thecentral area 24 of the end panel 21, and two lateral longitudinal bands30 that will be breasted in part with the lateral longitudinal bands 25of the selfsame panel 21. More exactly, the lateral longitudinal bands30 in the example of FIG. 5 are rendered pliable and adaptable to therequired curvature by means of an embossing operation similar to thateffected on the lateral bands 25 of the packet blank 1 and denoted Glikewise on the frame blank 3, whereas the lateral longitudinal bands 30in the example of FIG. 6 are rendered pliable and adaptable to therequired curvature by means of an operation P that consists ingenerating a plurality of crease lines 31, the same as on thecorresponding bands 25 of the blank illustrated in FIG. 3.

[0025] Likewise in the case of the blanks 3 from which the frames 2 arefashioned, the separation between the lateral bands 30 and the centralarea 29 is not evidenced by a clear line of demarcation; rather, thebands 30 and the central area 29 merge with no break in continuity andare thus able to bond completely with the internal surface of the packet4.

1) A diecut blank for manufacturing a packet of cigarettes presenting asubstantially elongated rectangular outline referable to a longitudinalaxis (16) parallel with the longitudinal axis (5) of the relative packet(4) and comprising, aligned along the selfsame axis (16), a centralpanel (17), two intermediate panels (18, 19) and two end panels (20,21), of which the intermediate panels (18, 19) and are joinedrespectively to the two contiguous panels (17, 20; 17, 21) alongrectilinear borders (22) extending transversely to the longitudinal axis(16) and interconnected in pairs by way of respective arcuate borders(23) without any discontinuity, whilst the central panel (17) and endpanels (20, 21) present respective flat central longitudinal areas (24),terminating longitudinally in extremities that coincide with therectilinear borders (22), and two respective lateral longitudinal bands(25) designed to meet the intermediate panels (18, 19) along the arcuateborders (23); characterized in that the intermediate panels (18, 19)each presents a flattened oval outline, to define a packet (4) ofcigarettes exhibiting a cross section of flattened oval profile. 2) Ablank as in claim 1, wherein the lateral bands (25) are rendered pliableand thus adaptable to the curvature of the arcuate borders (23). 3) Ablank as in claim 2, wherein the lateral bands are rendered pliable andadaptable to the curvature by an embossing operation. 4) A blank as inclaim 2, wherein the lateral bands are rendered pliable and adaptable tothe curvature by an operation that consists in generating a plurality oflongitudinal crease lines (28). 5) A blank as in claims 1 to 4,comprising flaps (26) by which the intermediate panels (18, 19) areconnected to the respective central and end panels (17, 20, 21). 6) Ablank as in claim 5, wherein the flaps (26) are integral with thearcuate borders (23) of the intermediate panels (18, 19). 7) A blank asin claim 6, wherein the flaps (26) are of substantially rectangularoutline and extend transversely to the longitudinal axis (16). 8) Ablank as in claim 6, wherein the flaps (26) consist in a plurality oftongues (32), each of substantially triangular outline, projectingradially from the arcuate border (23). 9) A blank as in claim 5, whereinthe flaps (26) are integral with the lateral bands (25) and extendparallel to the longitudinal axis (16). 10) A packet (4) of cigarettesof rigid type manufactured from a blank as claimed in claim 1 to 9,comprising a container (6), a lid (7) and a frame (2), wherein the frame(2) is fashioned from a respective flat diecut blank (3) presenting acentral area (29) offered to the central longitudinal area (24) of oneof the end panels (20, 21) and two respective lateral bands (30) offeredto the lateral longitudinal bands (25) of one of the two end panels (20,21). 11) A packet (4) as in claim 10, wherein the lateral bands (30) ofthe blank (3) used for the frame (2) are rendered pliable so as to makethem adaptable to the curvature of the arcuate borders (23) presented bythe intermediate panels (18, 19) of the packet blank (1). 12) A packet(4) as in claim 10, wherein the lateral bands are rendered pliable andadaptable to the curvature by an embossing operation. 13) A packet (4)as in claim 10, wherein the lateral bands are rendered pliable andadaptable to the curvature by an operation that consists in generating aplurality of longitudinal crease lines (31).